Exploring our living futures

Designing with biology is what we do when we shape living things for human purposes. Selective breeding of plants and animals, for instance, is one of civilization’s oldest practices. But the word “biodesign” evokes some of the newest design practices made possible by technological advancements in the life sciences from bioengineering to sustainable architecture.

Students in the Biodesign Challenge are exploring how we might harness these advancements, how these new applications might look and function, and how they might affect our lives and environment.

Biodesign Resources

Architecture

Growing our building materials—perhaps even whole structures—is just one way biotechnology is changing architecture and urban design.